Strava is one of the best apps to register your sports performance, but are you getting the most out of it? We give you four practical Strava tips that will take the app to the next level.
Four indispensable Strava tips in a row
In our list of the best running apps, you could recently read that Strava is one of the best in our opinion. But even if you prefer to register another sport, that is a possibility. For example, the app supports snowboarding, skating, cycling, swimming, windsurfing and walking.
1. Find new routes nearby
Don’t feel like walking or cycling the same round every time? And do you also not like to map out a route on your own? No problem: with Strava you can quickly search in your immediate vicinity for routes that have been set by other users of the app. You do this as follows:
- Open the Strava app;
- Tap ‘View’ in the bottom bar;
- Choose ‘Segments’;
- Use your current location or search for a location;
- Choose a route by tapping on it;
- Accept the challenge;
You can view the rankings of each route. That way you know exactly what the record is and how hard you had to do your best to exceed it.
2. Challenge yourself with Strava’s challenges
Challenging yourself is one of the main reasons to give it your all time and time again. If you are unable to set a goal for yourself, Strava can lend you a hand. The app is brimming with challenges, involving thousands of people. Once you participate and become a member, you can measure yourself against all other participants.
- Open the Strava app;
- Tap View in the bottom bar;
- Choose ‘Challenges’;
- Scroll through the list and find a challenge you want to participate in;
- Tap on ‘Become a member’ to register yourself.
In the rankings you can view or filter all athletes, so that you only see the people you follow. That makes it fun, for example, to challenge your friends and start a mini-competition in a challenge.
3. Exercise without your iPhone with the Apple Watch app
If you have an Apple Watch, Strava has an excellent watchOS app for you. This makes it possible to register all your achievements while your iPhone remains at home. This comes in handy when running, for example, if you don’t actually have a place to take an iPhone with you.
Before you leave the house, it is important to link the app to your account. You do this by first installing the Strava app on your Apple Watch. Then follow the steps below.
- Open the Strava app;
- Go to Profile and tap the gear in the top right corner;
- Tap Applications, services and devices;
- Choose ‘Connect a new device to Strava’;
- Follow the steps on the screen.
You can then leave your iPhone at home and start a workout via the Watch app. When you return home and your watch is connected to the internet, all data will be sent to your account. Just keep in mind that you need an Apple Watch Series 3 or newer to get a map of your route. The Series 3 and newer have a built-in GPS that makes this possible.
4. Make Strava extra useful with Siri Shortcuts
When you exercise, you don’t feel like messing around in an app and digging for the right settings for your workout. For that reason, Strava also supports Siri Shortcuts.
For example, choose ‘record run’, ‘pause recording’ and ‘resume my activity’. You set this up by opening the Strava app and going to Siri and Shortcuts via the settings. Want to know more about Siri Shortcuts? Then check out our handy Siri Shortcuts guide full of tips.